BVL Collaborates with University of Lagos Team on Smart Dual-Action Vaginal Drug Delivery System

Researchers at the Bioresource Valorization Laboratory (BVL) recently collaborated with colleagues from the Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lagos on a promising new multilayer electrospun fiber system designed to deliver two drugs from a single dosage form: the HIV microbicide tenofovir (TFV) and the CatSper channel blocker nifedipine (NFP) for contraceptive effect. 

The study, led by the University of Lagos team with contributions from BVL developed a stacked fiber architecture using cellulose acetate phthalate (CAP) as a pH-responsive top layer for TFV and polycaprolactone (PCL) as a backing layer for sustained NFP release. 

Lab tests showed respectable encapsulation efficiencies (TFV: 52.13%, drug loading 7.00%; NFP: 63.86%, drug loading 0.56%), and drug-release profiles tailored to their roles: the CAP top layer released TFV in a pH-responsive manner with diffusion-driven kinetics, while the PCL backing provided sustained NFP release approaching zero-order behavior in simulated biological media. These features point to a single product that could offer on-demand protection against HIV while also reducing the risk of unintended pregnancy, a true multipurpose prevention technology (MPT).

Why this matters: MPTs simplify protection, improve user acceptability, and can have outsized public health impact, especially where healthcare access is limited. The study is an excellent example of cross-disciplinary collaboration (materials science, pharmaceutics, and biomedical testing), reflecting how modern challenges in global health increasingly require diverse expertise. Collaborative research is one of BVL’s core strengths, and while this particular work was led by our University of Lagos partners, our involvement underscores the kind of partnerships we pursue to translate lab innovations into real-world solutions.We’re proud to support collaborative efforts that push forward safer, smarter drug-delivery strategies for women’s health. 

For more updates on our collaborations and research, visit the BVL news page.